milwaukeefandomcom-20200214-history
Angelo LaMantia
Angelo LaMantia (born april 19, 1903?1904?- January 1985?) alias Joseph Rizzo, Angelo La Matia, Angelo Bandiro, Thom Ramon and Joe Martino was an Italian-American mobster and member of the Milwaukee crime family who was a known hitman during the 1920s and 30s. Biography LaMantia was born in Palermo, Sicily and was described in police reports as 5ft. 8 inches tall, 165 lbs. with Wavy black hair, medium dark complexion and brown eyes. During Prohibition, LaMantia was a known bootlegger who ran with other Sicilian mobsters and hijackers. LaMantia was also reportedly known to operate in Youngstown, Ohio, New Orleans and Chicago. LaMantia was reportedly a known criminal back in his native Sicily and was in trouble with the law even before hitting U.S. soil, where he was accused of banditry and murder. In 1940, Angelo had been charged by the Italian consul with a murder in Sicily around 1922. His brother Pietro had also been wanted for the killing of a jeweler back in Sicily. At age 23, LaMantia already had the reputation of being a hitman. During prohibition, LaMantia allied himself with Chicago Outfit rival Joe Aiello. LaMantia would later marry Frank Aiello, Jr. of Milwaukee (Joe's newphew) sister and would later be charged with his murder. In Chicago, police uncovered an assassination plot against the Capone gang that had been orchestrated by the opposing Aiello faction. Aiello had been aspiring to the Unione Siciliane throne and wanted to take over the Chicago underworld. Aiello tried anything that would work in his favor. He spread money around to anyone who was willing to kill members of the rival Capone gang. LaMantia and four others were once arrested with weapons and a cache of dynamite in their possession. At time LaMantia was in the Rex hotel (3142 North Ashland avenue) a known gangster hideout. Police also discovered that LaMantia had leased an apartment Across the street from where Unione Siciliana president Antonio Lombardo lived. At other locations LaMantia had leased, police discovered more guns and dynamite. Arrests and Prosecutions Edit Detective Chief William O'Connor interrogated LaMantia on these locations and their purposes. LaMantia allegedly conceded that the Aiello gang had paid him $5,000 as an advance for taking out Lombardo andAl Capone. Aiello at other times had imported out of town hitmen for $50,000 from other cities such as St. Louis and Cleveland, which proved fruitless (They turned up dead). Aiello had even paid a chef at the Little Italy restaurant to poison Capone and Lombardo. The cook was so panic stricken that he divulged the whole plot to the Capone camp. Angelo's brother Pietro was later a suspect in Tony Lombardo's murder. On October 15, 1931 LaMantia along with three others were indicted for the slaying of two gangsters in Pittsburgh, amongst them Giuseppe Spinelli, who was indicted for the murder of Antonio Argento who was found strangled and burned near Turtle creek. LaMantia and others, were also indicted for the murder of Morris Curran, who was shot to death on June 24, 1931. LaMantia using the alias 'Joseph Rizzo' was arrested in October 1939 in Philadelphia after being wanted for a robbery in Camden, New Jersey. LaMantia was subsequently brought back to Milwaukee to face charges in the murder case of Frank Aiello, Jr., his brother-in-law, on January 27, 1940. In all the cases against LaMantia the charges would later be dropped. Including charges against him in Italy for the murder of Italian consul representative Angelo Cerminera. La Mantia was later sought in Pittsburgh for complicity in another murder he allegedly committed there in 1931, that of Morris Curran. He waived extradition now being very confidant to beat the rap as he did with all other cases. On May 13, 1940 after being returned to Pittsburgh to face old murder charges, Angelo LaMantia was once again acquitted by a jury. LaMantia would die years later of natural causes in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ?? Note in 1940 LaMantia age 36 was a resident of Milwaukee Wisconsin married to Josephine {b.1910 Wisconsin} The social Security index reports a Josephine Lamantia {born March 8, 1910} of Wisconsin, resident of Cook County Illinois who died July 1965; an Angelo La Mantia {born April 19, 1903} of "Pennsylvania" resident of Cook County Illinois died January 1985. Category:Criminals Category:Persons of note Category:Hitmen Category:Gangsters